Stop Thief!: 10 Practical Tips To Avoid Credit Card Identity
Theft

Identity thieves are your modern-day robbers They take your
personal information and use it for their personal gains It’s
shocking to know, that although there is a federal law against
it, some states do not have a local law Consequently, it is
responsibility to safeguard yourself Read this article for
practical tips on preventing credit card identity
theft, from happening to you
Household security
Charity begins at home, so does identity theft! Follow the tips
below on how to avoid compromising your personal information
from home
1Secure your documents
Invest in a fire-proof filing cabinet to store all your
important documents (eg social security card, credit card
information, etc) For added tips on securing your social
security no, check out the Federal Trade Commission’s advice at
http://wwwconsumergov/idtheft/conminimizehtmsocial
2Mind your trash disposal
Believe it or not, desperate individuals will go through your
trash and scour what they can, in order to obtain your personal
information Shred documents containing personal information
(credit card billings, credit info notices, and the like)
Invest in a crosscut shredder (vs a straight cut), which
ensures that destroyed information cannot be
reconstructed
3Postal security
Be cautious in sharing your address (home or office) to avoid
junk snail mail from clogging your mailbox If you are going
away for a long time, you may request the postal service to
withhold deliver of your mail until your return Call the US
Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 to request a vacation hold
Internet security
4Use passwords at all times
On power-up, logging in, accessing credit card websites and
obtaining reports It is not advisable to store passwords in
your computer Instead write them in a single notebook, which
you can store in a secure, filing system together with other
important documents
5Do not use personal information on passwords
Avoid using birthdays, addresses or phone numbers in creating a
password Read this advice on creating good passwords:
http://wwwuni-cdtudk/goodpasswordshtml
6Use a virus protection and anti-spy ware program at all times
In these Internet day and age, a basic anti-virus program is no
longer enough Spy ware hacks into your computer and installs
worms that send e-mails or files without your knowledge Get
software that can detect and protect against unauthorized
programs Check out this website for the top-rated anti-virus
software by consumerresearchcom at
http://wwwconsumersearchcom/www/software/antivirussoftware
7Set-up a firewall
For those with high-speed Internet connection (DSL, T1 and the
like, not dial-up) make sure you have a firewall set-up This
software prevents unauthorized computers from using your
Internet connection
8Conduct e-commerce over a secure website
It is unavoidable to conduct business over the Internet: it is
cheaper, faster and more convenient Unfortunately, it can also
be dangerous, especially to the careless Make sure you conduct
transactions only on secure websites Review the website for
their privacy policy
and look for information on safeguarding your credit card
Personal security
9Get a regular credit report
One way to monitor that your identity has not been compromised
is to view your credit report
You may get them for free when:
aUpon your request, once every 12 months, according to the
federal Fair Credit Reporting Act To order your free annual
report from one or all the national consumer reporting
companies, visit wwwannualcreditreportcom, call toll-free
877-322-8228, or complete the
Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit
Report Request Service, PO Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
bIf a credit or financial company takes unfavorable action
against you, request a free report within 60 days of receiving
notice of the action
cIf you’re unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60
days;
dIf you’re on welfare
eYour report is inaccurate because of fraud
Or else, to buy a copy of your report, contact:
Equifax: 800-685-1111; wwwequifaxcom
Experian: 888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742); wwwexperiancom
TransUnion: 800-916-8800; wwwtransunioncom If you ask, only
the last four digits of your Social Security number will appear
on your credit reports
10Withhold personal information
Avoid sharing personal facts on the phone, through the mail, or
on the Internet unless you are confident with whom you’re
dealing with Volunteer to personally provide information at the
credit card company’s office instead of divulging information on
the phone
Follow these specific steps and stay PROTECTED against credit
card identity thieves!

Tags | cabinet, desperate, disposal, documents, federal, filing, household, result, robbers, straight